Samsara

Bloodlines

Meet Samsara, a Yuma, AZ-based metalcore quartet determined to reinvigorate a genre, which in the last year has started to become slightly more appealing again following a stagnant few years. Samsara recently released their debut EP, “Bloodlines”, in a way for vocalist Daniel Croutch to unveil his struggles with addiction, depression and loss, focusing on utilising support from the ones closest to you forming a bond thicker than blood.

The Yuma quartet takes influence from the likes of August Burns Red and The Ghost Inside, combining technically impressive musicianship with anthemic passion, along with throwing in a catchy element that can remind you of A Day to Remember at times. The EP kicks off with “This Means War”, which opens up with techy, down-tuned riffs of the sort that In Hearts Wake are known for, followed by deep chugging breakdowns with eerie melodies layered on top of them. Soon Croutch’s deep, roaring shouts come in, the drum work adds intensity and we have a monstrous headbanger on our hands. “Pyro” picks up the pace with blasts of double-pedal in the intro, and we are introduced to how awesome the grooves of Samsara can be, with a brief two-step segment to appease hardcore fans. The chorus is anthemic and catchy, with a raspy singing melody that is reminiscent of A Day to Remember. There is a level of ferocity to it though, as the song ends on throat tearing screams. “100-Proof” continues the exact same formula of brutal verse and angst-ridden singing chorus, delivered with a monstrous tenacity.

“Dear Brethren” is the first time we hear proper clean singing vocals — and impressive ones at that. It’s one of the stand out tracks; the structure of the song is as stereotypical in metalcore as it gets: good cop/bad cop clean versus harsh vocal styles, shout out segments, two-steps and side-to-side rhythms, and an epic, sung ending that sticks in your head. It’s one of the freshest songs on the EP, as the majority the other choruses tend to sound the same. Those raspy, ADTR-like singing melodies from “Pyro” return in the title track and “Karma”, but it would have been more refreshing to mix up the styles a bit more. The final track, “Relics” opens with uplifting guitar rhythms in the intro, setting the tone that this song is somewhat chirpier than the rest of the EP. The song takes a similar approach to “Dear Brethren”, with clean singing segments and a mainstream element to it. The song still has a vicious element, but it takes a melodic Bring Me the Horizon direction with swampy atmospherics and a massive sing-along.

“Bloodlines” is an impressive debut from the Arizona act, as Samsara take elements that work from various bands in metalcore and blend them to make their own, solid release. From this EP alone, the band have grabbed my attention and I can only imagine that with hard work the band can improve and grow to be a real metalcore heavyweight over time.

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Download: Dear Brethren, Relics, PyroFor the fans of: A Day to Remember, In Hearts Wake, The Ghost Inside, August Burns RedListen: Facebook